Wednesday, June 23, 2010

The $1 Billion Police State In Toronto.

From June 26 - 27 the G20 is coming to Toronto. This event is costing the taxpayers of Canada $1 billion in security costs. Why does security for the G20 cost $1 billion? Because that's the price of a police state for 2 days in the center of the busiest city in Canada.

What is occurring in Toronto today is a stain on our country (that we allow it to occur) and a stain on our esteemed world leaders (that they are so insecure about their legitimacy that they must shut down entire cities where ever they go).

The Globe and Mail wrote a piece that provides some insight into what life in Toronto is like right now:
The proliferation of police, amid a marked decline in the number of office workers on the streets, certainly made an impression on Jeffrey Arbuckle as he ran a lunch-hour errand on Monday.

In an effort to liven up the porch of his television production studio near the security zone, Mr. Arbuckle had picked up a five-kilogram sack of potting soil. He was walking when two plain SUVs carrying eight police officers in tactical gear pulled up. They wanted to know what was in the bag.

While one officer checked his identification, another inspected the dirt and a third conveyed their concern: that he might be hauling fertilizer to a bomb-making lab.

After 10 minutes, Mr. Arbuckle got his dirt back, along with a warning that anyone in the area could expect similar scrutiny for the rest of the week.

“The cops have been nice so far, but it really feels like a war zone,” Jian Ghomeshi, a CBC Radio host, said outside the national broadcaster's headquarters, across the street from the convention centre where the leaders will meet. As if on cue, a pair of military helicopters chuffed overhead. Moments later, a blue wave of police officers washed around Mr. Ghomeshi on the sidewalk.

Just remember, at a time where our economy is weak and our deficit is large, we're spending $1 billion on this foolishness, which doesn't even factor in the lost business revenues for any business located in downtown Toronto. But who cares about them? Role out the red carpet, blast the trumpets, and bow down: our ruling class has arrived.

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